The Speedwell, was approximately 60 tons, one third of the Mayflower's size. A commercial vessel, it was bought by the Pilgrims in 1620 to bring them from Holland to England, where they would meet up with the hired Mayflower. These two boats were intended to bring the Pilgrims to America; however, only the Speedwell would stay. In Of Plymouth Plantation, William Bradford notes:

"A small ship was bought and fitted in Holland, which was intended as to serve to help to transport them, so to stay in the country and attend upon fishing and such other affairs as might be for the good and benefit of the colony when they came there."

The ship's captain was a man named Reynolds, who, from all accounts, was less experienced then the Mayflower's captain, Christopher Jones. To give Captain Reynolds an extra show of confidence, and to convince him that although his ship was smaller, it was just as important as the Mayflower, most of the Elders of the Leyden congregation were assigned to his boat. Despite his esteemed passenger list, Reynolds was not relieved, and before leaving, he was worried that the ship's cargo was overweight. Even more pertinent, whether he recognized the problem or not, the Speedwell was overmasted for her small size and carried a tremendous piece of sail. Overlooking these issues, the two ships left Southampton for America on August 5, 1620.

The two ships had barely made it to the Channel before something was found definitely wrong with the Speedwell. It was leaking, and the ships turned back to Dartmouth Harbor for repairs. At Dartmouth, it was searched and mended, as Bradford grumbled, "to their great charge and loss of time and fair wind." And indeed, the Speedwell, for all of its future worth, was wasting valuable supplies and days of good weather. Yet, when the ships left Dartmouth on August 23rd, it was still possible to make a good journey. Barely out 300 miles, the Speedwell was yet again in sinking condition. Two days after leaving Dartmouth, Captain Jones of the Mayflower announced after much discussion between the two ships that they have to go back to the nearest port. There, at Plymouth, the Speedwell backs out of the picture, making the Mayflower legend possible.

At Plymouth, days are spent selecting who will sail on the Mayflower and transferring supplies to the other ship. This changes the leadership dynamics on board, as many of the Elders from Leyden decided to stay behind in England. It also changed the dynamics of the Pilgrims' expectations for settlement: the Speedwell was their own ship, with the expectation that she would serve as a source of revenue, as a fishing boat, once they established a settlement. More distressingly, for the Pilgrims, the Speedwell was their insurance against being cut off from the rest of civilization in case of disaster, as the Mayflower would return to England after transporting their passengers. The loss of their ship, then, discouraged the Pilgrims greatly, but the Mayflower did not turn back.

The Speedwell, surprisingly, proved to be a capable and profitable vessel after alterations. It has been found on record that upon returning to London for repairs, her masts and rigging were cut down-the problem being that these features were too tall and heavy for the impact of ocean conditions. Her new owners found the Speedwell to be seaworthy, and she was once again able to sail as a merchant ship.

The legacy of the Speedwell lies in those harrowing conditions that the Pilgrims were forced to face. By the time it was determined that only the Mayflower was able to sail, and the necessary preparations made, summer was over. Autumn in the Atlantic is a stormy time, and so it was not the practice to make a westward crossing at that time of year. Leaving England for the final time, now on one ship, it was already the 6th of September. This delay dragged out the passage, using up stores in the process, and made not only the passage more difficult, but also the process of establishing a settlement, which now had to take place during the harsh New England winter at great cost of Pilgrim life.

Read what the Dutch have to say about this "Leaky boat".